Quayside work starts £1bn scheme

An artist's impression of what the new Quayside will look like

Work on a 10-year scheme to redevelop the heart of Gloucester has begun.

The £1bn project includes some £300m worth of shops, leisure facilities and homes on the old Quayside, where work has now begun.

A continental-style makeover is planned for King's Square next year and the area around the old Blackfriars priory will become an arts and culture centre.

The ambitious development has been seven years in the planning and is expected to create about 2,000 jobs.

A giant factory outlet is also planned, expected to attract about three million visitors a year.

In total, a third of the city centre (840 acres) is being revamped.

There are seven development areas in all: the railway triangle, Kings Square, Greyfriars, Blackfriars, the Docks, the Quays and the Canal Corridor.

There is also to be a new bridge planned over the Sharpness Canal.